The Right Way to Worship

"Come, let us worship Him and bow down. Let’s kneel before the Lord who made us, because He is our God and we are His people, the sheep of His pasture." Ps. 95:6-7

I’m Protestant, my wife is Roman Catholic. The mechanics of worship can sure be confusing: Protestants kneel for prayer, Roman Catholics stand for prayer, etc. I’ve often been asked to pray in worship services. When I am given advance notice---sometimes I write out the prayer, sometimes my prayer is impromptu. I’ve been asked to write prayers for others to pray in public. Is it wrong to "read" a prayer? Shouldn’t our prayers be "from the heart"/"Spirit led"? Obviously, that begs the question of whether a prepared payer is "from the heart"/"Spirit led" or not. I’ve attended a full spectrum of worship services in my day: very formal, moderately formal, informal; full of singing, little singing; totally prepared, totally impromptu. For those sincerely seeking spiritual feeding in a worship event we must answer the question: which is the best?

The answer is in the Psalms, the book of praise for God’s people. This collection of hymns and petitions are strung together by a common thread: a heart hungry for God. Some are defiant. Some are reverent. Some are inquiring. Some are statements. Some are to be sung. Some are to be said. Some are very personal. Some are for universal use. This very variety is the answer to our question: the "right" worship has no formula. The "right" worship is from the heart. Personally, we may relate a little more to one style of worship than to others, but, you know what…if we approach the worship experience with a heart sincerely hungry for God, we will find Him. The "right" worship is within us.

Blessings Always
in All Ways,
Steve

Surprise!

"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Romans 7:15

When Debbie and I lived in England one of our favorite television shows was entitled, "Surprise! Surprise!" Surprises are interesting, sometimes revealing. Recently, I was in a difficult situation that arose spontaneously. I had to think quickly. When it was all over, I felt good about the responses I chose in the sense they were "politically correct." I did everything right, even though I didn’t have time to plan and strategize. But after I finished congratulating myself I began thinking deeper. As a Christian I was embarrassed. I began to realize ways I should have responded that would still have been politically correct but would have also been a strong witness to our Christian faith. My self-congratulations diminished into humiliation, embarrassment. When I was in the pressure of the moment and had no chance to think about the details, I thought primarily of my human circumstances. As the saying goes, "I hate it when that happens!" Despite how truly committed to Christ we feel we are, despite whatever we do to further strengthen an already deep faith conviction, isn’t it great to know we are, indeed, saved by Grace! "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." Ephesians 2:4-5

Blessings Always
in All Ways,
Steve

Restless?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (RSV)

"Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’" John 20:21 (RSV)

"My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus Christ---the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love." Acts 20:24 (NLT)


I was very restless last night. I can’t figure out why. I didn’t eat anything that should have made me restless. I wasn’t stressed-out. No disturbances. I don’t understand. You know what---our entire life can be like that. One night was bad enough, but who wants to go through life feeling restless, empty, searching? Until we confront the reason for our being on earth, and take it head-on, we will be restless…empty…searching. We may be successful in our work. We may be financially well off. We may have many friends. We may have a busy schedule, certainly not bored. But we’ll be restless. We’ll be empty. Our little, personal secret will always be, knowing deep inside that something big is still missing: a void that none of these others things can fill.

That mission is sharing with others how they can have the most meaningful eternal life: a personal, dynamic, interactive relationship with Jesus Christ. That was the whole reason you, I, and everyone else has been put on earth. In my younger days I was very athletic: boxing, football, basketball, track, weight lifting…and, of course, I had the huge teenage male ego. There was no one, and nothing, I wasn’t afraid of. But I’ll admit, when I became a teenage Christian, I was scared to death to tell anyone! It was the hardest thing I had ever done to that point in my life, when I mustered up the nerve to talk to a peer about a personal relationship with Christ. But, you know what, I was shocked to find that he was actually open to listening! And so it has been in the many years since, too. Why? Because every human being has that seed planted deep within to hear the Good News. You may not feel very capable of talking to someone else about Jesus. It doesn’t take education. It doesn’t take any skill at all. It only takes willingness, The Holy Spirit takes care of the rest: "…do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 10:19-20 RSV). Rick Warren in his recent book The Purpose Driven Life gives four great points for us to think about and be prepared to "speak from" when we share about Christ:

(1)Your TESTIMONY (how you came to accept Christ in your life)
(2)Your Life Lessons (a key thing (or two) you’ve experienced that confirms your belief)
(3)Your Godly Passion(s) (the issues that you naturally care about)
(4)The Good News (the message about Jesus Christ from your view)

As you can see, none of these take research, they aren’t academic. They’re personal. And that leads to another point: no one else can tell your story, only you. Don’t side-step your responsibility (and the great chance to fill that void within yourself!).

Blessings Always
in All Ways,
Steve

Your Spiritual Super Bowl

"Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." I Corinthians 9:25-27

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Jacksonville, Florida…the home of the 39th Super Bowl! Even if you’re not a football fan, it’s impossible to escape the contagious enthusiasm of "the Super Bowl’s comin’ to town!" here in Jacksonville! Professional athletes privately train during the "off season", go to spring training early in the year, attend grueling summer training, then practice and play endlessly, ruthlessly from August through January for the opportunity of playing in the ultimate football game: the Super Bowl!

There is a Heaven…and an Opposite (Hell). This life is our training ground, our practice field. No one forces us. We are creatures of free choice. We choose whether we will serve God in whatever we do…or the opposite. There is no in-between ("I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot….So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16). Science confirms the atom never dies. It only alters form. When our existence in this life stops, we continue on in an altered form. What will that form be for you? It’s your choice. Heaven is eternally serving and honoring God, Hell is the opposite. Which is your current existence? It will be your eternal existence.

Blessings Always
in All Ways,
Steve

Spiritual Bouquet

"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. A voice says, ‘Cry!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever." Is. 40:5-8

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control... " Galatians 5:22-23

I did it again. I had flowers delivered to Debbie as part of our anniversary. We constantly debate about the value of this. Are they really worth the cost? Yet, we both do like the beauty and freshness they bring during their brief existence. Have you ever considered giving a "Spiritual Bouquet"? The petals of such a flower are listed by St. Paul in his letter to the church at Galatia. I challenge you to pick a specific individual and commit to give him/her:

Love (s/he will feel the care you have for them)
Joy (s/he will feel happy because of you!)
Peace (s/he will feel calm because of you)
Patience (s/he will know you’ve been tolerant with them)
Kindness (s/he will realize beyond a doubt your kindness)
Goodness (s/he will feel you have helped them with something important in their life, perhaps a personal goal or overcoming frustration/an obstacle in their life)
Faithfulness (s/he will feel they can trust you)
Gentleness (s/he will sense clearly that you have dealt gently with them)
Self-control (s/he will identify something you’ve clearly said/not said, done/not done that a less caring person would have neglected)

Think carefully…go ahead, pick someone…

Ding-dong! There is a delivery for you, from …

Blessings Always
in All Ways,
Steve